Adam Turner is an award-winning Australian freelance technology journalist with a passion for gadgets and the "digital lounge room".

Can Hollywood's UltraViolet finally strike a balance between our rights and responsibilities?

The history of Digital Rights Management is mostly a sad and sorry tale of copyright holders treating consumers like criminals and then wondering why we decide to take our business elsewhere. It's a history littered with abandoned schemes such as Sony BMG's Extended Copy Protection for audio CDs (linked to the Sony rootkit scandal), Microsoft's PlaysForSure for digital music files and Apple's FairPlay for music downloads. Others still exist but have been compromised to the point where they're all but meaningless, such as Macrovision on video tapes, Content Scramble System on DVDs and BD+ on Blu-rays.

For all the money the industry has poured into half-baked DRM schemes, so far they've clearly done very little to curb piracy. All DRM has done is inconvenience honest people who are trying to do the right thing, certainly driving some of them to piracy in the process. Undeterred by the many DRM failures, and perhaps oblivious as to why they've failed, the movie industry is at it again with UltraViolet.

UltraViolet isn't so much a DRM scheme as a DRM ecosystem, which seems like a step in the right direction. It's not a single file format or encryption standard, instead it's a cloud-based licensing and authentication system which supports a range of file formats, encryption methods and devices. Think of it as a cloud locker for your movies. UltraViolet keeps track of the digital copies of your movies and which devices you can watch them on, including Apple and Android gadgets as well as Windows and Mac. Straight away it's sounding like an improvement on most of the DRM schemes we've been burdened with in the past.

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Right now you can't actually buy UltraViolet digital movies in the same way you might buy a digital movie from iTunes, but that seems to be on the roadmap. For now you'll only find an UltraViolet download code bundled with a handful of Blu-ray movies -- similar to the iTunes and Windows Media Player download codes that have been included with discs for the last few years.

I bought my first disc bundled with an UltraViolet code recently -- a 3D Blu-ray copy of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey from JB HiFi to test with a Samsung F8000 3D LED TV. The Hobbit was actually Australia's first UltraViolet title when the technology was launched in May but there are now around a dozen titles available here. If you buy a movie on DVD then you're only entitled to a standard-def UltraViolet copy, but Blu-ray discs come with a high-def digital copy.

When I bought the disc at JB HiFi I was handed a sheet at the counter explaining how I could download the JB HiFi NOW Video app and redeem the UltraViolet code, although there are also instructions in the box directing you to flixster.com. That's one of the interesting things about UltraViolet -- it's not reliant on a single UltraViolet-branded app. Instead you can choose from a range of UltraViolet-compatible applications from various service providers. When you first create a JB HiFi NOW account you also create an UltraViolet account and it's possible to use that account with other video apps from other providers. Once again it's sounding surprisingly flexible compared to the rigid DRM systems of the past.

With the JB HiFi app installed on my iPhone I had the option to stream the movie or download the 1.3 GB file. Streaming looks pretty good although the download is naturally a little sharper. The JB HiFi app has AirPlay support for streaming to an Apple TV, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to work with this movie. I might just be unlucky, because I've seen reports of it working in other apps.

I like that fact that UltraViolet is cross-platform and not dependent on the iTunes store. I installed the JB HiFI app on a Samsung Galaxy S4, logged into my account and was streaming the movie within seconds. Unfortunately UltraViolet does make storage management on my iGadgets more complicated. I've got iTunes copies of Star Trek, Inception and The Avengers, downloaded using codes which came with the Blu-ray discs. I only needed to download them once and then I could copy them to my iPhone and iPads. If I need more space on one device, I can easily delete a movie and then copy it back later from iTunes on my Mac.

You lose this flexibility to shuffle files around when you switch to UltraViolet and JB HiFi NOW Video. I can install the app on several devices, but if I delete a movie from my iPhone to save space then I need to download it again, which is really annoying. To be honest if I ever need to delete The Hobbit from my iPhone I probably won't bother with the hassle of downloading it again. Android users might be familiar with such hassles but it will come as a shock to iTunes diehards who would probably prefer to trade their UltraViolet download code for an iTunes code. I'd love to see UltraViolet work within iTunes, but Apple isn't a team player when it comes to these things.

If I want to watch an UltraViolet movie on my Mac I can stream it in a browser or download it, but either option requires Microsoft's Silverlight plugin. Once you've installed Silverlight you can download the JB HiFi NOW desktop application and then download the movie into that, just like with the iPhone app. Thankfully you can watch the movie while it's downloading. The UltraViolet standard allows for downloading CFF movie files and transferring them between devices, but this hasn't been enabled yet.

A desktop management client, rather than simple a desktop player, would certainly make UltraViolet more practical. Even the ability to drag files into the JB HiFi app via iTunes would do the trick, as you can with eBooks and other files. Although, to be fair, reliance on clunky desktop management software is usually the Achilles' Heel of DRM systems and perhaps it's a deliberate decision to avoid this for now. Decent desktop file management might come to UltraViolet in the future, when it's possible to download CFF files, but for now it's a frustrating but forgivable omission.

Even so, I don't think I'll spend too much time messing around with UltraViolet until I can shuffle files between devices. Until then it's easier to simply make my own digital copies using AnyDVD HD and Handbrake. Currently you're not permitted to rip DVDs and Blu-rays under Australian law, but remember that Australians happily ripped their CDs into iTunes for many years before the law permitted it. Under our antiquated copyright laws even recording live TV was against the law until a few years ago.

Normally these kinds of DRM schemes limit you to a handful of copies and playback devices, but UltraViolet is more flexible. You can add five other people to your account with their own logins and passwords, which makes it easy to manage a family library and give your children access to a sub-library within your account. Between the six of you, you can register 12 UltraViolet Players and watch downloaded movies on as many as you want, but you can only run three streaming sessions simultaneously.

Twelve playback devices sounds rather generous, but the long-term plan is to build UltraViolet into internet-enabled televisions, Blu-ray players, games consoles and other entertainment devices. The idea is to make it a ubiquitous platform for managing your digital movie library. At this point 12 devices for a large household might seem a little restrictive.

It's clear that UltraViolet's long-term strategy is to help the content industry make a smooth transition to digital downloads while retaining control of the ecosystem. Giving away free UltraViolet movies when you buy shiny optical discs is a smart strategy, giving people a taste of the technology without asking them to spend money or pushing them into digital downloads before they're ready. Eventually content providers will start selling UltraViolet-only copies of movies and even offering UltraViolet rentals, letting people shift from discs to downloads at their own pace and when their broadband connection is ready to cope with more cloud-based content.

I know it's early days, but at this point I have to admit that I'm surprised at how usable UltraViolet is. It's as if someone has actually sat down and carefully assessed the realistic needs of end users, rather than simply treating them as criminals. That's certainly more than you can say about many DRM schemes of the past. The fact that UltraViolet is an industry-wide effort, rather than a push from one vendor hell-bent on owning the customer (yes Sony, I'm looking at you), is also a promising sign. Apple and Disney are the only major players to hold out at this point.

When you read the fine print, you discover that content providers have the ability to restrict how you use UltraViolet content. This is where my faith starts to waiver. If such clauses are abused, such as movie houses arbitrarily disabling streaming rights on some movies, then people will quickly abandon UltraViolet. It will become yet another tombstone in the DRM graveyard. I'd also be worried if UltraViolet-enabled Blu-ray players started demanding authentication before letting you watch your discs.

The other cloud hanging over UltraViolet is longevity. The idea of what happens to your digital media library in the long term is something that hasn't been explored, whether it be when a content provider goes out of business or when an end user goes to that big lounge room in the sky. You've probably got more than a decade's worth of DVDs sitting on your shelves, but do you really think you'll be able to watch all your UltraViolet titles in 10 years time? Do you plan to hand on your UltraViolet password in your will? If you've been burned by music DRM in the past and have a bunch of files you can no longer play, you might be reluctant to invest too much money in a digital-only video library -- whether it be from UltraViolet, Apple or elsewhere.

18 comments so far

The article doesn't address why people pirate in the first place. Nor does it address copying one's DVD's for digital viewing later, which can be difficult or impossible because of copyright measures.

Commenter

Andrew R

Date and time

July 19, 2013, 10:02AM

Heres an idea, and its a crazy left field idea at a that:

When you buy the media at the store, you own it, and can do what the hell you like with it

DRM will always be rallied against, and for good reason

When your business model is to (even before someone buys it) assume your target audience are thieves, then you deserve no less than the contempt that you are showing yourself.

Commenter

stylemessiah

Date and time

July 19, 2013, 10:05AM

Not so. When you buy the "media" at the store you are actually only buying a license. The license determins what you are and are not allowed to do with it. Found this out when investigating why I was not "allowed" to copy my DVDs to my computer and then put them on my iPad for portability.

Commenter

Me

Date and time

July 19, 2013, 11:43AM

Fair use would need to be more clearly defined. If I rip a DVD how many devices can I copy it to? If I have to treat it like a DVD, it would only be 1. iTunes allows 10 devices and AN UNLIMITED NUMBER of iOS devices that sync to an authorized computer. This allows me to legally use my iTunes movies on dozens of devices with in my direct family. No way the movie industry would see me duplicating a DVD 20 times as legal.

Good DRM works. We just have to fight for the proper rights within DRM.

Commenter

puggsly

Date and time

November 28, 2013, 12:13PM

I rip all my discs and then put them away. I watch everything over the network on a Tablet or via a WD Live box. There is no way I'd consider signing up for something like this.

Once I've bought a movie or TV series, I'll consume it however I want.

Ultraviolet sounds like another good argument FOR piracy.

Commenter

Big Aussie

Location

Newcastle

Date and time

July 19, 2013, 10:56AM

I picked up a film recently with UV included, what an awful experience it is. As far as I can tell, I'm now only allowed to watch that film through the JB Hi-Fi video app. Having registered with that at first, I'm really annoyed with how buggy and slow the application is. Looking for a simple download option to watch on any device is non-existent. Apparently I can download a file to play back offline, but I need a special app to play it with? Where I can get this app form is beyond me, and how that will work on devices that you can't install apps on isn't explained either. The whole process of creating accounts in multiple services, just to access a single movie is a bit ridiculous as well. Overall I'm so confused and frustrated by the process I see absolutely no advantage in using it, it's STILL easier to obtain a better quality film through non-legal means than it is to do the right thing. This is how we're rewarded for doing the right thing. Great.

Commenter

No Impressed

Date and time

July 19, 2013, 11:17AM

The reason I pirate movies is to not have to watch the annoying "piracy is stealing" ads at the start of the DVD (on most disks, the ad is unskippable).

From the description, the service sounds to be in a very similar stage to "open beta", where the developers are trying to get a large number of people using the system so that bugs and flaws are highlighted quickly. Most people don't understand the purpose of the beta stages and just assume that "because I can access it, it is complete". Any bugs encountered just serve to drive people away (a common problem in modern online video games).

If I have to use a closed ecosystem, I want it to be flexible and consistent. Steam, by Valve software, is the best example I have found. I can use every game in the same way. If the game exists for the operating system, I can download it. I do not need to be online to play my games (although I do need to plan ahead when I am about to go offline). There is only a two factor authentication process to use a new device.

Commenter

Andrew

Location

Newcastle

Date and time

July 19, 2013, 11:40AM

The article seems to think Ultraviolet is primarily about DRM, instead it is a system designed to empower location shifting. It is the reason why people download content rather buy it, because if they buy it online they can only use it on one device.

Ultraviolet is about empowering users to access the content when and where they like without having to buy old fashioned and unreliable physical media.

It as about making content cross platform, cross system and open and accessible. Now I can own something in the cloud and access and use it anytime I want.

Let's see if the platform provides (google, Apple etc) will play ball or try to restrict us to their limited platforms.

Commenter

Flingebunt

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

July 19, 2013, 11:55AM

"Ultraviolet is about empowering users" The NBN will make Ultraviolet DRM redundant with fast upload speeds, you know that, and that's why the media company you work for is campaigning against Labor's NBN. Most of us have large collection's of DVD's and Blu-Ray discs. We can rip a back up copy of our films, upload it to the cloud or have a home server to stream it, but for this we need fast upload speeds. NBN FTTP has 100/40 Mbps and later 1000/400 Mbps, the LNP FTTN has a very slow upload speed which is why that other News Media company are campaigning for an Abbott Government.All the new Smart LCD TV's play every codec out there, you can get an App to play any codec for Tablets and Phones.

Commenter

Wombat

Date and time

July 19, 2013, 2:58PM

Into the future, as catalogues become larger and connections much, much faster, then the idea of "owning" a movie will surely become redundant?